A super Autumn or Winter walk on the borders of Chatsworth Park:

Turn left out of the drive and go straight across the next 3 crossroads.  Turn left onto the Matlock/Chesterfield road and then immediate right onto Screetham Lane.  Go over the next crossroads and then straight ahead at the next junction towards Beeley.  A mile or so along the lane, look for a wooded area on a left hand bend with a track going off to the right.  Park here.

Walk along the track and go over the stone wall stile and onto the green path ahead.
On your left is some of the most stunning scenery in Derbyshire, looking down over the Chatsworth deer park and the River Derwent and there are plenty of vantage points to sit and take in the splendour of it or enjoy a lazy pic-nic even on a cold day.  On your right begins the wild expanse of Beeley Moor, covered in bracken and heather and wearing a different colour with each season.  Look out for the moorland birds and diversity of plants.  This walk is best seen on a sunny Autumn day or a crisp Winter day with a mist hanging down in the valley.

You don't need to walk any further than this but for the more adventurous there are tracks ahead leading down to Chatsworth House  or you can go back over the stile and down through the woods to Beeley village and enjoy a pint at The Devonshire Arms.
(maps are advised for the longer walks!)


The Cromford Canal walk:

This is a super walk for a crisp Winter morning and takes about 5mins. drive and about an hour to walk.

Turn left out of the drive and left at the end of the lane and drive through Lea to Lea Bridge and the John Smedley factory,(take some time to look in the factory shop!).  At the main junction turn right onto the Cromford road, go around the bend and pull into the car park on the left.

Walk across the bridge to the canal,  go over to the far side and turn left and walk along the old wharf and then along the path until you reach the tunnel.  Go up the steps over the tunnel and left, through a metal gate into a large field.  Walk up the righthand side to the top and through the gate, turn left.  Cross this field and go through the gate and follow the path diagonally across a wide field at Holloway, go through the gate, keep on the narrow path between a field boundary and a large house boundary, go through a gate and then diagonally up a track to the corner of a wood.  Go through the gate,( the chain opens), and walk along the woodland path to the corner of the wood.  Leave the wood and follow the path back down to the canal and walk back to the pump house on the other bank.

Look out for:  water voles, moorhens, mallard, kingfisher and the woodland life under the huge beech trees in Lea Woods.  If you like architecture then admire the wonderful Arts and Crafts era Lea Wood Hall next to the footpath as you leave Holloway!

If you are interested in canal history and relics then spend some time at the beginning of the walk exploring the old pumping station, which is fired up regularly by enthusiasts.  Drive on to Cromford itself and visit the lovely tea shop on the canal and the 18th.Century Richard Arkwright factory buildings, now little shops, featured on the Gryff Rees Jones TV programme, saving the nations buildings.

The White Hart walk:

A good walk for a  frosty Winter day,as it was below, because you know you are going to end up in front of the fire at The White Hart!

This is a walk from the front gate leading right to the door of The White Hart where you can stop for a pint on the way home!  The walking bit of it should take around an hour.

Out of the drive turn right and proceed to the end of Wheatcroft Lane, over the little crossroads and up to the end of Dark Lane.

Turn sharp left onto a track and at the end of the track turn left into Hollins Lane.  Continue to walk down the lane to a bridleway on the right signed 'Amber Valley route one'.  Proceed up the track between holly bushes and through the gate at the top.  Turn left and continue along the track towards the farm.  Just before the farm , turn left over a stile and head for the bottom left-hand corner of the field.  The track then continues down, following the hedge on the left until it eventually brings you out in the car park of The White Hart.

To return to The Cruck Barn, go straight across from the car park entrance onto Moorwood Moor Lane and then turn left onto Pit Lane which takes you back to Wheatcroft.  Back on the walk, if you were to continue along the Amber Valley route instead of turning left before the farm, it would take you to South Wingfield Manor in 15 minutes or so and then out onto the Crich road to make it a longer walk.

Look out for:-  the Highland cattle on Wheatcroft Lane, badger setts in the field next to the farm, kestrels hunting for mice around the farm and the donkeys near the top of Pit Lane.

The Wakebridge Walk. (2-3 miles)

This walk takes in one of the ancient areas of Crich, where William de Wakebridge, a valiant knight distinguished in the wars with France, established a chantry close to his manor house where daily masses were to be offered for the souls of his family who perished in The Black Death.  Some remains of the chantry can still be seen but the old manor house was demolished in 1771.  William de Wakebridge also owned land at 'Whetecrofte', so could he have once owned The Cruck Barn?

Leave The Cruck Barn by the lower gate and continue along the lane, across the small crossroads onto Dark Lane.  At the end turn left onto Plaistow Green Lane. 

Walk along the road to the bend and leave the road to walk straight ahead on the footpath.  At the quarry fence go to the right.  Cross the tramlines, walk down to the farm and campsite, heading left to the road.  This is Wakebridge.

At the road turn right and a few yards later turn right again off the road on a footpath heading across the field towards Wakebridge farm buildings.  Keep the farm on your right and on reaching a fork, take the left hand track following the line of trees up hill.

Follow this old coffin road until it peters out.  Keep walking straight ahead to a field and cross the field close to the fence on the left(*)

Cross straight over the next field and be sure to take in the view over Matlock and Riber Castle to the left and Crich Stand to the right.  Follow the waymarks at each stile, keeping Crich Stand on your right and aiming for the modern looking farmhouse and bungalow  and old yellow machinery ahead, Shuckstone Fields Farm.

Come out onto Shuckstone Lane, turn right along the road for a short distance then turn left onto a steep downhill lane.  At the crossroads turn left and return to The Cruck Barn.

Look out for:-    The remains of the mediaeval chantry at Wakebridge Farm.    The coffin road which carried the dead on their last journey all the way to Ashover Parish Church.                                                                                                 The remains of Shuckstone Cross, where the coffin cart was rested, (now all that's left is a large stone in a wall).  The term 'shuck' refers to a robber or highwayman and one can only guess that Shuckstone Fields was so named because travellers journeying across the moor as it was then, were accosted by such vagabonds once they were away from the safety of Crich.                                                                

(*) There were cows and a bull in the field at this point and although the cows and their young slowly followed us, with the dogs across the field, the bull took very little notice of us and did not seem at all risky!

 

Snitterton and Oker. (drive to Matlock)

If you drive to Sainsury's in Matlock and then take the new road that goes past the side of their petrol station, Matlock Spa Road it will bring you to the very pretty hamlets of Snitterton and Oker in a mile or so.

There are several footpaths and lanes to explore here, with wonderful views of the valley and of Riber Castle standing high on the far side.  The famous wildife artist Pollyanna Pickering lives at Oker and has a gallery there which has exhibitions throughout the year.  This is well worth a visit.  Altogether, a lovely tranquil old area to wander through and explore at any time.

 

Black Rocks walk from Cromford canal. (drive to Lea Bridge)

This walk is about 3 miles and after an initial long but steady climb on a flat wooded track it is an easy going gentle walk.  You can stop for a drink or a packed lunch at the cafe at Black Rocks or treat yourself to an award winning Frederick's ice cream when the van is there!

Drive left out of the gate and at the end of the lane turn left, through Lea to     Lea Bridge.  After the John Smedley shop turn right onto Cromford Road and round the bend turn left into The High Peak Junction car park (free).

Walk over the bridge to the canal, (water voles can often be spotted here), cross the canal and turn right at the railway carriages onto The High Peak Trail.   This ascends moderately up the incline, through shady woods with lots of view points and industrial archaeology until it reaches Black Rocks.

The path now goes down to the right of the gate, with the cafe etc. ahead of you.  Descend through the trees to an area of quarry waste and then bear right to the corner of the field and go down the steps into the pasture.   Keep the wall on your right, cross the field to the lane, turn left and walk down to a small group of pretty cottages (*).  Turn right here at the sign and walk through the sheep pasture on a green track.

At this point, be sure to take in the splendid views on your left over Matlock and Cromford.  Look out for Willersley Castle, built by Sir Richard Arkwright next to his mill in the 18th.C.  Look for Riber Castle, built by John Smedley whose mill still stands at Lea Bridge and look for The Heights of Abraham with the cable cars and The Tors at Matlock Bath.

When you reach the bridge over the track, go under and then turn left at the wooden sign onto a narrow footpath to rejoin the incline and walk back down to the canal.

(*)  At this point you can carry on descending to Cromford village and take the time to explore if you wish.  Don't miss Scarthin's bookshop, (a real old fashioned bookshop by the pond) and look into 'Beautiful Days', down in the square.  Then cross the A6 at the lights onto Mill Lane and walk past Arkwright's Mill, cross the road at the wharf buildings,(lovely tea shop here!) and walk back down the canal path for about a mile to the car park.     Cromford is a lovely little spot and you may prefer to devote time separately to come here and explore.  A little further on from Cromford, on the Ashbourne Road is the National Stone Centre which is also well worth a visit.

 

The Lindway Springs walk.

This is a lovely scenic, farmland and woodland walk, easy walking but can be wet underfoot at the bottom of the green lane next to the chapel.  (Pick your way along the stream bank on the left).  The last field is a moderate climb and if you want less exertion simply do the walk in reverse!

Walk out of the main gate, cross the lane and descend down the green track in front of the old chapel.  Follow the footpath through about 3 fields, turning left at a waymark sign in the hedgerow  and heading towards a chalk farm track.    Go over the cattle grid in front of Spring Farm and bear right into a field.  Bear right across the field to a signed exit half way along the hedgerow on the right and cross into the woodland.  Follow the path to the right and walk along the woodland track through Lindway Springs, (not as wet as it sounds!).  There are the remains of Stone Age pit settlements in these woods.

Leave the wood at Lindway Lane opposite the farm and turn left.  Go down the dip and turn left over a stile at the corner of the cottage in the dip.  Cross the field diagonally and in the next field head for the top left corner.  Pick up a farm track,turn right.  Climb over the stile into Beech Farm, walk along the drive and exit over a stone stile into Wheatcroft Lane.  Turn left for The Cruck Barn.

Look for the Stone Age pit settlements in the wood and enjoy the Bluebells in early Summer.  There is another footpath opposite the cottage on Lindway Lane that takes you up to the reservoir if you want to do a detour at this point.